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The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) supported the launch of Nashim VeShorashim (“Women and Roots”), a landmark book celebrating 48 Ethiopian Israeli women whose resilience, leadership, and public service have helped shape Israeli society.
The book’s official launch took place on Wednesday at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem and was hosted by Israeli First Lady Michal Herzog.
Originally scheduled for International Women’s Day in May, the event was postponed due to the war with Iran.
CAM has backed the Ethiopian Women Empowerment organization, which works to elevate women of Ethiopian descent in Israeli public life, since shortly after the October 7th massacre.
The organization has been a beneficiary of CAM’s Israel Emergency Support Fund, which has raised over $5 million to support more than 70 organizations, individuals, and communities across Israel through emergency relief, mental health care, physical rehabilitation, and community resilience programs following the 10/7 attacks.
Ethiopian Women Empowerment Founder Racheli Tadessa Malkai was one of four CAM-supported volunteer leaders honored by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in June 2024 for efforts supporting communities impacted by October 7th.
CAM Chief Program Officer Hadas Bar-Erez addressed guests at Wednesday’s event and said CAM’s expanded work in Israel reflected the organization’s belief that strengthening Jewish communities worldwide also requires investing in the resilience of Israeli society. “In order to build a strong Israeli society, we must ensure that every voice is heard, every story is told, and every community feels it is an inseparable part of the Israeli mosaic,” she said.
Bar-Erez also spoke directly about the women whose stories appear in the book. “These are not only personal stories,” she said. “They are an inseparable part of the Israeli story — the story of women who faced hardship, loss, and the need to fight for a voice and a place, yet chose to keep building, educating, serving, leading, and inspiring future generations.”
CAM CEO Sacha Roytman attended the launch and described Tadessa Malkai as a personal inspiration and a role model whose leadership has strengthened Israeli society.
“Her energy, determination, and sense of purpose inspire me,” Roytman said. “When challenges arise, she does not complain about them. She creates solutions that move an entire community, and our society, forward.”
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Nashim VeShorashim closes with a vision Bar-Erez articulated at the event — that the stories it carries are not only a testament to the past, but a compass for the future. They remind us that the most meaningful leadership is rooted in humility, service, and a deep commitment to community and the Jewish people.
Read more:
Op-Ed: African Jews Carried Zion Before the World Hijacked Zionism
Tel Aviv Philanthropy Gala Honors Israeli Organizations Making a Difference in 10/7 Aftermath
CAM-Supported Ethiopian Women Empowerment Project Launches Public Advocacy Course
